ANOTHER provider is being sought to operate the 111 medical service number in Bucks, after NHS Direct has said it is seeking to pull out of its contract in the county.

NHS Direct, which originally won 11 of the 46 regional contracts for the service, has already withdrawn from two - Cornwall and North Essex.

It is now looking to withdraw from the remaining nine – including Bucks – saying the agreements are proving to be “financially unsustainable”.

The 111 number was launched earlier this year as a a free contact number for patients with urgent, but not life-threatening symptoms. The 24-hour phone service was intended to replace the one offered nationally by NHS Direct.

The NHS Direct Board has issued a public apology for the problems encountered when it launched its two biggest 111 services in March.

The organisation said it did not have the capacity to handle all the calls it received, which were taking more than twice as long as expected to deal with, and the cost of providing the service is exceeding the contract price.

While Bucks has not been at the forefront of the complaints, the Keogh Review, published two weeks ago, noted that nurses told the review panel they had given up on using the advice service due to delays of up to five hours in doctors calling them back. Instead, they reported calling hospital doctors or GPs or dialling 999 instead.

The NHS Direct Trust says it will continue to provide a range of web, mobile and telephone services for patients which complement the 111 and support the NHS and will be unaffected by the discussions currently underway.

Nick Chapman, NHS Direct Chief Executive said: "We will continue to provide a safe and reliable NHS 111 service to our patients until alternative arrangements can be made by commissioners. Whatever the outcome of the discussions on the future, patients will remain the central focus of our efforts, together with protecting our staff who work on NHS 111 to ensure that the service will continue to benefit from their skills and experience.”

A statement from the Aylesbury Vale and Chilterns Clinical Commissioning Groups in response to today’s announcement said: “We are aware of the position regarding NHS Direct and are considering other providers who could operate this service for us in Buckinghamshire.

“111 in Buckinghamshire currently operates very well and we would not normally be looking for another provider at this point in time, but we understand the need to do this. “We will therefore concentrate our efforts on identifying a suitable alternative provider and on ensuring a smooth transfer for the service.”